Volume 64, Issue 2, August 2023

The Michigan Society of Thoracic Surgeons (MSTS) was established in 1965 with the aim of promoting best-practice standards among Michigan’s thoracic surgeons and ensuring the highest quality patient care [1].

Survival after cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) in children remains the outcome of greatest concern to patients and families and the ultimate measure of surgical performance.

Pulmonary artery (PA) reconstruction is one of the most important procedures of the arterial switch operation (ASO) for the transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and TGA-type double-outlet right ventricle (DORV).

Lung cancer (LC) remains the second most common cancer in both males and females and continues to be the leading cause of death in Western societies [1].

Patients with single-ventricle (SV) congenital heart disease (CHD) such as the hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) are treated by a staged surgical or combined surgical/catheter-based Hybrid procedure [1].

Every year the number of paediatric patients receiving a ventricular assist device (VAD) for end-stage heart failure is increasing, with currently over one-third of the patients receiving transplants being bridged with one [1, 2].

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have emerged as a durable and safe therapy for patients with advanced heart failure [1], demonstrating improved survival over optimal medical management, and are the most widely used devices for long-term support [2].

Aortic root replacement (ARR) is being increasingly performed with acceptable postoperative outcomes [1].

Ischaemic organ complications following thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) have been reported in the literature in a wide range of presentation such as neurological, visceral, renal, myocardial and peripheral [1].

The occurrence of atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) in patients has not received adequate attention, despite not being a rare occurrence in clinical practice [1].

Cardiac surgery is associated with a significant risk for the development of central nervous system complications, which may range from subtle cognitive decline [1, 2] to stroke [3–5].

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is traditionally performed with cardiopulmonary bypass, allowing surgeons to operate on a bloodless field with an arrested heart.

Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) is the most common cardiac surgery operation in the USA and worldwide [1].

For 30 years, the risks and benefits of the off-pump versus on-pump approach to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery have been debated extensively [1].

A left anterior minithoracotomy (LAmT) has been described as an alternative approach for isolated multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and has been called the “total coronary revascularization via left anterior thoracotomy” (TCRAT-CABG) technique [1–5].

In October 2021, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) agreed to establish a panel of experts to review the recommendations for revascularization of left main (LM) coronary artery disease (CAD) from the 2018 ESC/EACTS Guidelines on myocardial revascularization [1], and recommend revision, if appropriate, of the recommendations on the choice of treatment modality for the management of LM CAD for low Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score (0-22) and intermediate SYNTAX score (23-32), as set out in the recommendation table (page 107) [1], and the accompanying text describing the evidence and recommendations for LM CAD (page 109) [1].

This editorial refers to ‘2022 joint ESC/EACTS review of the 2018 guideline recommendations on the revascularization of left main coronary artery disease in patients at low surgical risk and anatomy suitable for PCI or CABG’, by R.A.

As the indication to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is expanding to patients at progressively lower risk [1, 2], the reduction of procedure-related vascular complications (VCs) represents a main objective [3].

The Commando operation is a technically complex operation used to facilitate aortic and mitral valve (MV) replacement when the aortomitral curtain (AMC) is affected by endocarditis, severe calcification, or prior valve surgery [1].

Primary mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most frequent type of mitral valve dysfunction in developed countries and, within this group, degenerative MR is the most common aetiology [1].

Aortic stenosis is one of the most prevalent valve disorders.